1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to coffee or other beverage brewers, and in particular to an improvement in beverage brewing machines wherein the filter element can be repetitively used and can be removed from the brewing chamber so that the coffee grounds can be removed therefrom and then the filter element can be returned to the brewing chamber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention is an improvement in beverage brewing machines such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,641 which issued on Feb. 23, 1971 wherein the inventor is Alan M. King. This patent discloses a beverage brewing vending machine for brewing a single cup of coffee or other beverage which has a brewing chamber which receives hot water and beverage material. The chamber has a floor through which gas and liquid can pass but is provided with a filter which prevents the beverage material from passing therethrough. The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,641 has a lower chamber which is of substantially the same cross-sectional size as the first chamber located below the first chamber in which a piston is mounted. The piston can be moved upwardly toward the first chamber which forces air through the floor of tee first chamber into the first chamber so as to agitate and brew the hot water and beverage material mixture to produce the beverage. The piston then moves away from the floor of the top chamber and draws the beverage through the floor and filter and then dispenses it through a suitable spout. In the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,641, the filter material is not reused but a supply of filter material is supplied to the brewing chamber for each individual cup of coffee and then is discarded.